Resource Sharing Week 4 - Online Learning Communities

Teaching and learning has made a shift from the classroom to online communities. Universities are looking to online and blended courses to engage learners in communication and dialogue that does not always involve face-to-face interactions. In order to move a cohort to a community, Misanchuk and Anderson suggest “encouraging interaction at three levels: communication, cooperation, and collaboration” (para. 16). Palloff and Pratt (2007) discuss the changes students experience in an online community, including “greater availability and accessibility or information, engagement of different learning styles, and promotion of increased responsibility for teaching and learning” (p. 4). If the benefits from this style of learning are so apparent, why are distance learning schools or programs not as prevalent?

One possible answer can be found in the development of online learning communities. In Creating Collaborative Communities, Dr. Soren Kaplan discusses the participants, group processes and technology that are needed to build and run successful online communities. When working with those involved in a particular online community, it is important to clearly define the roles of the participants, create sub-groups focused on certain topics or areas important to the whole community, and support the individuality of the participants. Establishing behaviors for the group, developing trust, and creating a relationship with smaller groups to share work and ideas are ways in which the online community can grow and develop successful interactions. In terms of technology usage, “The goal should be to serve the community through its transparency - learners' time should be spent learning about the topic at hand, not about how to use a given technology” (Kaplan, 2001-10, para. 20).

As the years continue, our students are going to have increased access to technology and the role of the classroom will change dramatically during our tenure as teachers. Not only will we be expected to participate in online learning communities in a professional manner, but soon we will be engaged in student centered online learning communities in which our role as instructor will turn to facilitator.

References

Kaplan, S. (2001-10). Creating Collaborative Communities. Retrieved from
http://www.icohere.com/CollaborativeLearning.htm

Misanchuk, M. & Anderson, T. Building community in an online learning environment: communication, cooperation and collaboration. Retrieved from http://frank.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proceed01/19.html

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Resource Sharing Week 3 - Learning Community Outcomes

This week's resource sharing assignment was submitted via blackboard and instructor email.

Resource Sharing Week 2 - Learning Communities – Implementing, Assessing and Sustaining

Martin-Kniep acknowledges that idea that professional learning communities (PLCs) not only benefit the students, but also the teachers. It is also discussed that conversations between teachers are necessary for growth of the profession as well as students’ learning. “Now more than ever before, teaching requires collegial structures that enable teachers to articulate, refine, negotiate, question, and share their expertise and practice so that they can benefit students” (Martin-Kniep, p. 11). Implementation of PLCs is the first step in the process of developing collaboration between teachers and honing the skills necessary to increase student understanding and achievement.




The above video explains the beginning stages of implementing a PLC model for teachers. West Valley High School just implemented PLCs in which teachers meet once a week for 40 minutes. The principal at West Valley believes that work in a PLC helps growth. Teachers often become isolated in their classrooms and PLCs increase collaboration around their discipline, what will be taught, how it can be taught, and what is essential for students to know and master when they leave the classroom. Core concepts are developed within each discipline, but PLC meeting time is used to determine essential skills necessary in a particular discipline. Together teacher discuss what are the essential skills, concepts and ideas that every single student should know when they leave that particular class. Teachers at West Valley are also able to compare student performance and trade ideas about teaching practices. They believe this PLC practice could take years to implement, but they will follow some basic steps that they deem essential when thinking about the role that their practice plays in the classroom.

Step One: Develop Essential Learnings
Step Two: Implement Essential Learnings in the classroom
Step Three: Collect Data - How are students doing?
Step Four: Aggregate the data and analyze – Where are students succeeding? What strategies are
being used that promote this understanding (share teaching strategies)? Where are students not excelling? What can we do to provide opportunities for growth in those areas?

Ultimately, collaboration between teachers can and will affect learning outcomes in the classroom. “Among the benefits of collaboration, the teachers stated that they had gained insights into curriculum development, classroom management, motivation, and learning disabilities. They declared strong group efficacy, explaining that team members had created and fostered empathy, stress relief, and complementary strengths for one another. They also noted that by working together, team members had solved problems collectively, saved time and energy, and benefited from constructive criticism” (Elbousty & Bratt, p. 7).

References

Elbousty, Y., & Bratt, K. (2010, Spring). Team Strategies for School Improvement: The Ongoing Development of the Professional Learning Community. MASCD. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from http://www.mascd.org/17311071491435113/lib/17311071491435113/Perspectives%20sp_2010%20Elbousty3.pdf

Martin-Kniep, G. O. (2008). Communities That Learn, Lead, and Last: Building and sustaining Educational Expertise. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

West Valley High School, Fairbanks. (2010, February 17). Professional Learning Communities. Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68H7tEDFxW8

Testing 1..2..3

This is my first blog post!  :-)